Match Group’s BLK Dating App Launches Financial Resource for Users

Dating app BLK, which serves the community of Black daters, announced the launch of “Break the Bank,” a new finance-related campaign initiative.

The campaign promotes “financial literacy” and provides tips to users on how to weather inflation, according to The Drum. It was developed with help from networking collective The Gathering Spot and will be rolled out nationwide in time for Black Business Month. According to BLK, the idea came from the fact that black-owned businesses are particularly vulnerable right now, and are shutting down at twice the average national rate.

The Gathering Spot will send in-app notifications of financial advice to users, with topics like “How Increased Rates will Affect Your Money Flow” and “Tips to Grow Your Small Business to the Next Level.” The app will also be encouraging users to shop at Black-owned businesses with its #BlackSummerSpend campaign on social media channels.

BLK announced that in addition to these campaigns, it will be sending gift cards to users that can be used to “fund dates at Black-owned businesses.” The company has set aside a total of $10,000 to be distributed among 40 winners, so $250 per person, according to The Drum.

To win a gift card, users can submit a video of themselves explaining how they would use the funds.

BLK surveyed its users and found that 69 percent out of 20,000 respondents “agree that the recent increase in the cost of living is hurting their dating and social lives.” Another 66 percent of respondents said inflation is causing them to delay setting up first dates, opting for virtual interactions to get to know a match before meeting in person.

BLK’s campaign comes on the heels of Bumble’s new initiative to highlight the black dating experience – a web series called LuvToSeeIt which features black celebrities talking about their dating lives, from intimacy to relationship dynamics to communication styles. The latest episode features Joooey Bada$$, Teyana Taylor and Jidenna talking about their experience with polyamory.

“When I started the polyamory thing, I was not like this,” Jidenna said in the episode, which is hosted by Steve Harvey’s daughter Lori Harvey. “I did not know how to talk about what I was going through, and I didn’t know who to talk to, especially in the Black and Brown community. There’s not a lot of us.”

BLK is a fast-growing app within Match Group’s portfolio, at a time when star app Tinder’s growth is slowing. Niche dating apps that serve communities of singles seem to be gaining traction with users tired of swiping.